Battlemage, 2nd Variant (5e Class)

This page is of questionable balance. Reason: Lots of the best parts of so many combined features, this looks like a min-max optimization. You can help D&D Wiki by better balancing the mechanics of this page. When the mechanics have been changed so that this template is no longer applicable please remove this template. If you do not understand balance please leave comments on this page's talk page before making any edits. Edit this Page | All pages needing balance

Battlemage

The Battlemage is the culmination of magic casting and weapon mastery. This class is for those who wish to discover the synergy that can be found between the two rather than the opposing factors of each.

A typical battlemage. Warrior by Ruben Perez Gonzalez. Permission to use image granted on 3/13/2020

Class Features

As a Battlemage you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Battlemage level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Battlemage level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution and Intelligence
Skills: Arcana and choose two from: Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, and Perception

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) A martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) Five javelins or (b) a simple weapon
• (a) Studded Leather or (b) Chain Shirt
• (a) A scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Battlemage

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Arcane Surges	Cantrips known	Battle Points	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
							1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Arcane Surge, Cantrips, Fighting Style	1	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Spellcasting, Battle Points, Spelled Blade	1	2	2	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Battle Style	1	2	4	3	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1	2	6	4	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Extra Attack	2	2	8	5	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Battle Style Feature, Spelled Blade Improvement	2	2	11	6	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Elemental Expertise	2	2	13	7	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	2	3	15	8	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	3	3	17	9	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Battle Style Feature, Arcane Surge Improvement	3	3	19	10	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Spellsword, Magic Resistance	3	3	21	11	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	3	3	23	11	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	—	4	3	25	12	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Battle Style Feature	4	3	27	12	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Surge Master	4	4	29	13	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	32	13	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	—	5	4	34	14	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Signature Cantrip	5	4	36	14	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	38	15	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Esoteric Manifestation	Unlimited	4	40	15	4	3	3	3	2

Arcane Surge

In combat, you can channel arcane energy through your weapons & armor as you fight, causing your martial abilities to be enhanced with raw arcane magic. You can activate or deactivate Arcane Surge as a bonus action on your turn. While Arcane Surge is active, you gain the benefits listed below.

• You can use your Intelligence modifier to determine your armor class in place of your Dexterity modifier. The limit you can add this bonus still applies to medium armor.

• You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with melee weapon attacks.

• Your melee weapon attacks are considered magical.

• You can sense magical presences within 30 feet of you, but cannot discern what the school of magic is. Magical presences appear as a fuzzy aura that radiate off of magical objects that form the shape of the object in your vision. You can see these presences through either 1 foot of wood or dirt, 1 inch of stone, or a thin sheet of common metal, such as through a set of plate.

Arcane Surge lasts for 1 minute, and ends early if you are knocked unconscious, affected by the dispel magic spell at any time for the duration, or enter an area of similar magic cancellation. As you gain more levels in the battlemage class, your Arcane Surge grows stronger & grants you more powerful features. You have 1 use of this feature, and gain an additional use at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. You regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn additional battlemage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of The Battlemage table.

Fighting Style

At 1st level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose a fighting style from the list of optional features. You can't take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again.

Dueling

Whenever you land an attack with a one-handed melee weapon while holding no other weapons, deal +2 bonus damage.

Great Weapon Fighting

Whenever you roll a 1 or a 2 on a two-handed melee weapon, you may reroll it, but you must accept the new result.

Protection

When an attack is made against a friendly character within 5 feet of you, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be holding a shield to use this feature.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Well Armored

While you are wearing armor you are proficient in, gain +1 AC.

Spellcasting

At 2nd level, you have gained the ability to use arcane magic, and have learned how to bend it to your will.

Spell Slots

The Battlemage Table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these battlemage spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell magic missile and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast magic missile using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the wizard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Battlemage Table shows when you learn more battlemage spells of your choice from the wizard spell list. Each of these spells must of a level where you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the battlemage spells you know and replace it with another spell from the wizard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your battlemage spells, since the power of your magic relies on your intellect. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a battlemage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a melee martial weapon as a spellcasting focus for your battlemage spells.

Battle Points

Beginning at 2nd level, you are trained in the use of battle magic and may spend Battle Points for different features. The Battle Points column on the Battlemage Table shows how many points you have at each level. In addition, you regain a number of Battle Points equal to your Intelligence modifier(minimum 1) after you finish a short rest. You regain all your Battle Points when you finish a long rest.

Battle Points can also be converted into Spell Slots for 1 + SL as a bonus action (To create a 1st lvl spell slot it would cost 2 Battle Points).

Spelled Blade

At 2nd level, battlemages can use an action to cast a spell at its lowest level into a melee martial weapon by spending a number of Battle Points equal to the spell level and a spell slot. A weapon can have a number of spells in it equal to half your Intelligence modifier(minimum 1) rounded up. To release a spell from the weapon, the use of Spelled Blade must be called before attacking. When the melee attack hits using Spelled Blade, the target fails any spell-related saving throw. Spelled Blade can only be used once per attack action.

At 6th level, battlemages can quicken their Spelled Blade. You may now use a bonus action to imbue a spell at its lowest level into a melee martial weapon by spending a number of Battle Points equal to twice the spell level and a spell slot. Spelled Blade now include cantrips which can be added for free. If a bonus action is used for Spelled Blade, the current attack action cannot use that same imbued spell.

Battle Style

At 3rd level, you pick an archetype from Blademaster, Magicaster, and Destroyer. You gain a feature at 3rd level from taking this archetype and additionally gain features at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, when you take the attack option, you may attack twice.

Elemental Expertise

Starting at 7th level, you can spend a long rest to perform a ritual upon two weapons you wield and imbue them with acid, lightning, fire, poison, or cold. A melee martial weapon infused with the chosen element does additional elemental damage equal to your intelligence modifier. You also gain resistance to the chosen damage type. You can change the damage type at the end of a long rest.

Arcane Surge Improvement

Starting at 10th level, your Arcane Surge grants you supernatural accuracy with your blades. While your Arcane Surge is active, instead of gaining a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls, you can instead add half of your Intelligence modifier (rounded up) as a bonus to your melee weapon attack rolls and damage rolls.

Spellsword

Starting at 11th level, the magical energy that you draw from begins to directly empower your fighting & empowers your strikes in battle. On each of your turns, if your Arcane Surge is active, the first melee weapon attack or melee spell attack roll on each of your turns has advantage. Additionally, if that attack hits, the attack deals an additional 1d8 force damage.

Magic Resistance

Starting at 11th level, magic is less effective against you. You have advantage on Saving Throws against magical attacks you can see.

Surge Master

At 15th level, you obtain mastery over your Arcane Surge. You can use one of the following features while your Arcane Surge is active.

• Each creature within 10 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw equal to your spell save DC or take 3d6 force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.

• Your next melee weapon attack that hits a creature deals an additional 3d8 force damage.

• You can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier. You cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

Signature Cantrip

At 18th level, choose a cantrip you know. This cantrip does an additional die of damage. If you cannot already, you can now add your Intelligence modifier to damage rolls done with this cantrip.

Esoteric Manifestation

At 20th level, you attain the pinnacle of immersing yourself with the weave. You gain unlimited uses of Arcane Surge, and your Arcane Surge has an unlimited duration. Your Arcane Surge does not end early as a result of being targeted by the dispel magic spell, or entering an area of magic cancellation, such as the area created by the antimagic field spell. If you are dropped to 0 hit points, the Arcane Surge ends, and you must reactivate it with a bonus action.

Battle Style Features

Blademaster

A Blademaster focuses more on using magic to empower their attacks.

Battle Stance

By 3rd level, you learn to use magic to enhance your fighting. When you roll initiative or as an action, you may enter a Battle Stance. Whenever you enter a new Battle Stance, all benefits from the old Battle Stance are lost. At 3rd level, you may choose two Battle Stances to know. At the 6th, 10th, and 14th levels, you choose another Battle Stance to learn.

Offensive

Gain a +1 to attack rolls and damage rolls.

Defensive

At the start of each of your turns, if you have less than 3 temporary hit points, you may set your temporary hit points to 3.

Berserker

You make all attack rolls at advantage and add d4 bonus force damage to damage rolls. All attack rolls made against you are at advantage.

Tactical

Whenever an enemy within reach makes an attack roll against a friendly creature you can see, you may attack that enemy as a reaction.

Arcane Shield

You have advantage on saving throws against spells.

Flexible Fighting

At 6th level, at the start of your turn, before any other actions or movement, you may change Battle Stances as a bonus action.

Favored Battle Stance

At 10th level, choose a Battle Stance you know and upgrade it.

Offensive

Change your +1 to a +3 for your attack rolls and damage rolls.

Defensive

Whenever you start your turn with less than 4 temporary hit points, set your temporary hit points to 4. Gain +1 armor class.

Berserker

You make all attack rolls at advantage and add 2d4 bonus damage to all damage rolls. Attack rolls against you are made at advantage.

Tactical

Whenever an enemy within reach makes an attack roll against a friendly creature you can see, you may attack that enemy as a reaction. If you hit the creature, they make that attack at disadvantage.

Arcane Shield

You have advantage on all saving throws against spells. As a reaction, you may give yourself resistance to damage from a single spell.

Dual Stances

At 14th level, you may hold two Battle Stances at the same time. You may only change one Battle Stance at a time.

Magicaster

A Bladesinger focuses more on spellcasting than Blademasters.

Expanded Spellbook

When you choose this school at the 3rd level, you immediately gain a spellbook. Additionally, choose 3 spells to add to your spellbook. Choose one additional bonus spell to add at the 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

Ritual Casting

Starting at the 6th level, you learn ritual casting, like a Wizard. You may ritual cast a spell you know.

Arcane Recovery

From the 10th level, during a short rest, you can regain up to one quarter(rounding up) of your Battlemage level in spell slot levels. For example, if you are a level 16 Battlemage, you can regain up to 4 levels in spell slots; so you regain either 4 1st level spell slots, 2 2nd level spell slots, or anything that adds up to 4.

Arcane Protection

From the 14th level, whenever you cast a spell of the 1st level, gain bonus AC equal to the spell’s base level until the start of your next turn.

Destroyer

These battlemages devastate their enemies with powerful evocations and other destructive magical forces.

Spell Change

By 3rd level, you have learned how to change a spell's damage type (fire to cold) to another besides the psychic, poison, force, slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing damage types. Spells that deal those damage types cannot have their damage type changed. You may change a spell's damage type a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). You regain all uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.

Offensive Blaster

By 6th level, you have learned how to put more magic into your damage spells. You may add 1 point of damage for every die in an offensive spell. The damage applied by this is the same type as the damage from the spell.

Structure of Magic

By 10th level, you have obtained unrivaled knowledge of how magic works. You have advantage on all Intelligence checks related to magic and Arcana skill checks.

Bolt

By 14th level, you have gained access to a powerful reservoir of magic that you may use to smite foes. As an action, you may call upon a bolt of lightning to smite a foe within 120ft of you. The target must succeed a Dexterity saving throw equal to your spell save DC to take half of the 5d8 lightning damage and not lose their reaction. This feature counts as a spell for all other features or effects that may apply. You regain use of this feature after you finish a short or long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the battlemage class, you must meet these prerequisites: Intelligence 13 and Strength 13.

Proficiency. When you multiclass into the battlemage class, you gain the following proficiencies: melee weapons and Arcana.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes